The present invention relates to the use of an extract from watermelons.
Watermelons have been known since long ago also in Japan to be effective for treatment with respect to diuresis and renal diseases. No reports, however, have been available on experiments both in animal tests and in analyses of the components of watermelons effective for renal diseases or diuresis. The inventor, with reference to the nephritis caused by heteronephrotoxic serum, namely Masugi nephritis (Matazo Masugi, Yasoichi Tomizuka: Journal of Society of Pathology of Japan, 21, 329, 1931), (Matazo Masugi: "Nephritis and other studies", Neiraku Shobo, Tokyo, Japan, 1948), using the second phase of Masugi nephritis, namely a system of combination of rabbits and ducks, has made studies on effective components in watermelons clinically and pathologically upon confirmation of 100% morbidity of nephritis, and found that a glucopeptide newly found in the edible portion of watermelons is effective and that the content of the glucopeptide is markedly reduced or is reduced even to zero depending on the species of the watermelon, the growing period of the watermelon, number of days after harvesting, and the treatment method. Therefore, it is not correct that any watermelon, no matter of what kind or freshness will do, as stated in the papers so far available.